Andy Roddick has been impressed with Alexander Zverev’s game and there is one shot in particular that has caught his eye.
The German is in arguably his best form since returning to the tour following a horrific ankle injury sustained at the 2022 French Open.
He is on a eight-match win streak and clinched the year-end number two finish during the round robin stage of the ATP Finals.
Furthermore, Zverev is into the semi-finals of the ATP Finals and he is in a strong position to claim the title for a third time.
What is Alexander Zverev doing that Andy Roddick says he has not seen before?
Alexander Zverev has enjoyed a consistent season, but he has certainly saved his very best tennis for the end of the season.
The 27-year-old claimed the Paris Masters title just before he began preparing for the ATP Finals and he has carried on that form in Turin.
One of the keys to Zverev’s high level of play is his serve, which he hits incredibly fast yet it is still very consistent and accurate.
Andy Roddick, who possessed one of tennis’ greatest serves in his playing days, called Zverev a ‘serving machine’ as he highlighted what makes it so effective.
“He can serve at 77% and we’re not even surprised. He has lowered his ball toss, his rhythm has got better. The guy is an absolute machine on serve, his serve is so good,” the American told his ‘Served’ podcast.
“That is a great starting point and then also you have to deal with one of the best backhands in the world.
“We pick on the forehand only because the rest of his game is so complete, but he doesn’t miss a lot and if you allow him to roll it around and get in that groove then consistency becomes a weapon when he can apply scoreboard pressure, because his serve is so good.
“You give this guy no factors on his serve and I don’t know if I have ever seen anything like it in terms of serve percentage while still hitting 140mph, it’s crazy.”
Alexander Zverev’s serve is a serious weapon especially playing indoors
Playing on indoor hard courts seems to assist Zverev when he is serving.
Without the added elements of playing outdoors, he is in complete control and in a rhythm that enables him to produce consistent brilliance on serve.
Zverev’s serve has yet to be broken at the ATP Finals and he only faced break points during his victory against Carlos Alcaraz on Friday afternoon.
He has averaged 75% of his first serve points won on tour in 2024, and he will need to produce similar numbers in the semi-finals of the season-ending championships against Taylor Fritz.
The American has won their last three matches and he is aiming to reach the ATP Finals championship match for the first time.
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